Ava didn’t sleep much.
Every time she closed her eyes, she felt it again—that surge of power, that overwhelming awareness, like her body was learning something faster than her mind could process.
By morning, the mark on her wrist burned steadily.
Not painfully.
But insistently.
A reminder.
A warning.
Or maybe both.
She pushed herself out of bed, exhaling slowly as she flexed her fingers. “Okay… no accidental energy explosions today.”
“That depends.”
Ava froze.
Then turned.
Kael leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, watching her with that same calm intensity that never seemed to fade.
“You really need to stop doing that,” she muttered. “You’re going to give me a heart attack.”
“You’d survive.”
“Comforting.”
He didn’t smile.
But there was something close to it in his eyes.
“Come with me.”
Ava raised a brow. “That sounds suspiciously like more chaos.”
“Training.”
She blinked. “Already?”
“You don’t have time to wait.”
That—
Didn’t sound reassuring.
The training grounds sat just beyond the main clearing, a wide, open stretch of land bordered by dense forest. The moment Ava stepped onto it, she felt the difference.
The air here was heavier.
Charged.
Like it had soaked in years of conflict, discipline, control.
Wolves were already gathered.
Watching.
Of course they were.
Ava sighed under her breath. “Do I get an audience for everything now?”
“For now,” Kael said.
“Great. No pressure.”
Her gaze swept across the group—
And landed on Lila.
Standing near the center.
Waiting.
Ava should’ve known.
“She’s helping,” Kael said.
Ava glanced at him. “Helping me… or testing me?”
“Yes.”
Ava huffed softly. “Figures.”
“Control isn’t optional.”
Lila’s voice was sharp, cutting clean through the quiet.
Ava stood across from her, arms loosely at her sides, trying not to focus on the number of wolves watching.
“Good to know,” Ava replied. “Got any actual instructions, or are we starting with judgment?”
A few nearby wolves shifted slightly.
Lila didn’t react.
“If you lose control,” she said calmly, “you put everyone here at risk.”
Ava’s jaw tightened. “I’m aware.”
“Are you?” Lila stepped closer. “Because yesterday didn’t look like control.”
“That wasn’t intentional.”
“Exactly.”
That hit.
Ava felt it.
The frustration flared instantly—but beneath it—
That same heat.
That same rising energy.
Her mark pulsed.
Lila noticed.
“Good,” she said quietly. “Feel that.”
Ava frowned. “Feel what?”
“That edge,” Lila continued. “That moment right before it takes over.”
The heat intensified.
Ava’s breathing shifted.
“Now hold it,” Lila said.
Ava let out a sharp breath. “You make that sound easy.”
“It isn’t.”
The pressure built.
Fast.
Too fast.
Ava clenched her fists slightly, trying to ground herself, trying to focus—
But it wasn’t like before.
This wasn’t a sudden burst.
This was a steady climb.
Like something inside her was waking up—
Stretching—
Testing its limits.
“I don’t think this is—” Ava started.
“Don’t release it,” Lila snapped.
“I’m not trying to!”
“Then control it.”
Ava’s heart pounded.
The world sharpened again—
Every sound louder.
Every movement clearer.
Every heartbeat around her—
Louder than her own.
“This is too much,” she muttered.
“No,” Lila said. “This is what you are.”
The words hit something deep.
Something instinctive.
And suddenly—
Ava wasn’t just reacting.
She was pushing back.
The energy surged again—
But this time—
She held it.
Barely.
Her body trembled with the effort, her breathing uneven as she forced the power to stay contained, to stop spreading, to stay hers.
“That’s it,” Lila said, her voice quieter now. “Don’t fight it. Direct it.”
Ava squeezed her eyes shut for a second.
Then focused.
Not on stopping it—
But on holding it.
Shaping it.
The pressure steadied.
Not gone.
But controlled.
Ava’s eyes opened slowly.
The world didn’t feel like it was spinning anymore.
Didn’t feel like it was about to explode.
It felt—
Still.
Lila studied her.
Then gave a small nod.
“Better.”
Ava let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “That was… not fun.”
“No,” Lila agreed. “But necessary.”
Ava rolled her shoulders slightly, trying to shake off the lingering tension. “So what now? I just… keep doing that until I don’t accidentally knock everyone over?”
“Something like that.”
“Great. Love that for me.”
“You held it longer.”
Kael’s voice came from behind her.
Ava turned, slightly surprised.
“You were watching?”
“I’m always watching.”
She raised a brow. “That’s only slightly unsettling.”
His gaze softened—just slightly.
“You didn’t lose control.”
Ava hesitated.
Then shrugged lightly. “Came close.”
“But you didn’t.”
There it was again.
That quiet approval.
It shouldn’t matter.
But it did.
Ava looked away for a second, then back at him. “So… that’s progress, right?”
“Yes.”
A pause.
Then—
“You’ll need more.”
Ava groaned softly. “Of course I will.”
Kael stepped closer.
The distance between them closed naturally now.
Easily.
Like neither of them questioned it anymore.
“You’re stronger when you’re grounded,” he said.
Ava tilted her head slightly. “Grounded how?”
His hand lifted—
Slowly.
Deliberately.
He brushed his fingers lightly against her wrist—just above the mark.
The reaction was instant.
Heat flared.
Sharper than before.
More focused.
Ava sucked in a breath, her fingers instinctively tightening.
“Like that,” Kael said quietly.
Ava swallowed. “That’s… distracting.”
“It’s stabilizing.”
“Feels like the opposite.”
His thumb moved slightly—
Just enough to send another wave of heat through her.
Ava exhaled unevenly. “You’re definitely not helping my focus.”
Kael’s gaze dropped briefly to her lips.
Then back to her eyes.
“You didn’t pull away.”
Ava’s heart skipped.
“Didn’t say I wanted to.”
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Silence fell between them.
Not awkward.
Not uncertain.
Charged.
The pull between them tightened again—
Stronger than before.
More undeniable.
Kael’s hand slid from her wrist to her waist, steady, firm.
Grounding.
Possessive.
Ava felt it—
And didn’t step back.
Didn’t break the contact.
Didn’t run.
Because this—
Whatever this was—
It didn’t feel like something to escape.
It felt like something she was already part of.
“You’re learning,” he said quietly.
Ava met his gaze.
“And you’re enjoying this way too much.”
A faint smirk touched his lips.
“Maybe.”
Ava let out a soft breath.
But she didn’t move.
Didn’t pull away.
Because despite everything—
The power.
The tension.
The uncertainty—
This part felt steady.
Safe.
And that might’ve been the most dangerous thing of all.
From the edge of the training grounds, Lila watched in silence.
Her gaze lingered on Ava—
On the way the energy had shifted.
On the way she had held it.
Controlled it.
And then—
On the way Kael stood close to her.
Too close.
Lila’s expression didn’t change.
But her thoughts sharpened.
This wasn’t just a bond.
This was something else.
Something stronger.
Something that could either protect the pack—
Or destroy it.
And if Ava lost control again—
Lila wouldn’t hesitate.
